1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to submunition which is deployable or deliverable to a target object through the intermediary of an artillery projectile, and in which the submunition includes a releasing device for a braking parachute which is stowed in the tail end region of the submunition.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
An arrangement of that type is, in general, known from the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,533 which is assigned to the common assignee of the present application. In that particular instance, an article of submunition which includes a braking parachute stowed in a rearwardly located cassette is located in front of the base of the carrier projectile and which is adapted to be sheared off from the casing of the carrier, and arranged in front of this rear submunition there is located at least one further article of submunition (hereinafter referred to as the forward submunition). The coaxial stack of articles of submunition is dispensed rearwardly from the carrier casing during the overflight of the carrier projectile above the target area due to the separation of the base therefrom. This can be effectuated through the intermediary of parachute pull lines, such as illustrated in the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,215. Nevertheless, it is more expedient to push the coaxial stack consisting of the base and the articles of submunitions arranged in front thereof, out of the casing through the action of a gas generator which is located in front of the articles of submunition.
In order to pull the braking parachute of the rear article of submunition out of the packing cassette, there is expediently provided a pull line which is attached to the aerodynamically-braked base, such as is described in more specific detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,171, which is also assigned to the common assignee of the present application and the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. When a corresponding line is provided extending from the leading end of the rearward article of submunition to the packing for the braking parachute in the tail end of the submunition located in front thereof, which should tension itself due to the braking down of the rear article of submunition, in order to pull out the packed parachute and then draw the packing away therefrom to then allow the parachute to open, then for this purpose there is provided a mechanical coupling between the two adjoining articles of submunition, which can hinder the intended undisturbed kinematic sequences. In particular, this line must be constructed extremely lengthy in order to ensure the presence of a sufficient distance between the forward and the rear articles of submunition prior to the unfolding of braking parachute of the forward submunition without thereby colliding with the already braked rear article of submunition. Before the articles of submunition have been axially raised away from each other, the lengthy line must be stowed within a narrow amount of space and secured against any premature looping or pitching out through the use of a strong safety yarn. From the beginning of the looping out until the tensioning of this pull line, there is accordingly encountered the danger of mechanical damage thereto between the tail end of the forward and the end surfaces of the rear articles of submunition prior to both of these having been sufficiently raised away from each other. Moreover, a pull line of such extensive length can be uncoiled from the rear article of submunition while the latter is still rotating at a high rate of speed under the influence of the stabilizing spin, so that the shroud lines of the rear braking parachute will either wind in or tangle and the parachute will lose its braking effectiveness, or possible the forward braking parachute will be wound about the rear article of submunition or its parachute, so as to cause both articles of submunition to ineffectively crash or tumble down.